MIRC to Release Mitumba Sector Report Highlighting Its Economic Role

The Mitumba Institute Research Centre (MIRC), a new research institute that focuses on the vitally important mitumba trade, will officially launch a report on the sector on Thursday, April 21 highlighting why the sector plays a crucial role in Kenya’s economy.

Dubbed the “Global Production Networks of the Second-Hand Clothing Industry,” the paper investigated the economic, social, and environmental effects of the second-hand clothing sector (known as mitumba) in Kenya and the broader African continent.

This first report aimed to assess the strategic importance of the global second-hand clothing industry for Africa and make recommendations for the development of the second-hand clothing sector in the future.

The report comes at a time when there is too much misunderstanding and misinformation regarding the role of the second-hand clothing sector, following successive attempts to shut down the industry altogether in certain countries.

The decision to ban the Mitumba industry sprung from the notion that it was killing the local textile sector. At one point, the government of Kenya banned the importation of the same, leading many into economic turmoil.

Kenya is one of the largest importers of second-hand clothing in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, it imported 185,000 tons of used clothing. This equated to around 8,000 containers. The trade increased import taxes to 1,732,650 Kenyan Shilling per 40-foot container in 2019 (equivalent to 24 tons).

There are varied supply sources for Kenya’s mitumba trade, which has an enormous impact economically and socially.

For example, more than 70 percent of all repurposed clothing in the UK is exported and sold in Kenya. Approximately two million Kenyans work in the Mitumba market. This is not a small number in a country with a high unemployment rate.

As a result of its contribution to employment and as a source of government revenue, the sector is critical to Kenya’s economy.

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What has stood out clear over the years is that the larger mitumba industry forms part of the SME empire that supports millions of Kenyans to earn a living. The sector, just like any other business, creates employment, pays revenue to the government, and has lots of other financial benefits down the value chain.

The sector has helped strengthen the demand for clothing in countries such as Kenya by raising fashion awareness. Moreover, the demand for second-hand clothing worldwide is growing as there is increased awareness of the environmental cost of textile manufacturing.

Therefore, it is imperative that countries, including Kenya, see long-term growth and development strategies that factor in the increased global demand for second-hand clothing as environmentally conscious consumers seek more reused products.

Therefore, the sustenance of the mitumba trade in Kenya requires that all stakeholders join hands in guaranteeing its future. The Global Production Networks of the Second-Hand Clothing Industry report findings provide a roadmap for taking action.

Join MIRC on April 21 for an official launch of the report for more insight into the sector and the steps countries must take to safeguard the trade and ensure it continues contributing to the economy’s growth.